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Thursday, February 28, 2013

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

- John 5:19-29

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus going to Jerusalem for a festival, a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in
Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude
of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the
water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and
stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring
of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain
man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw
him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a
long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man
answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water
is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately
the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was
cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."
He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed
and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take
up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it
was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have
been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." The
man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him,
because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered
them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only
broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself
equal with God.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the
Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for
whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." My study bible has a note on the whole passage, which reads: "The discourse here shows the Father and the Son are so united in nature, will and action that the Son fully shares the divine attributes of giving life and executing judgment. This judgment is based on both faith and works. The two can be distinguished, but they cannot be separated. Those who respond to the Son of God in faith and who do good will receive the gift of eternal life." Here, Jesus begins speaking of the intimate nature of connection between Father and Son.

"For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself
does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may
marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even
so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one,
but has committed all judgment to the Son . . . " My study bible points out here that Jesus is speaking to the leadership about the Judgment that is to come. It says, "Christ in His glory will be the Judge of the world at the Second Coming." Jesus is expressing the tremendous sharing between Father and Son.

". . . that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who
does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most
assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who
sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has
passed from death into life." Jesus is not only proclaiming His equality with the Father, but also expressing the Father's love for the Son, and therefore that the honor given the Son is also honoring the Father. Jesus' word, being the word given by the Father, is worthy of our faith. So much so, that by the bond of that faith, we may enter into the eternal life of Christ.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the
dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will
live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son
to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment
also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the
hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life,
and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." Jesus gives a very emphatic and powerful affirmation not only of His relationship as Son to the Father, but also an expression of the Judgment. Even in these verses above, there are at least three affirmations about the Judgment, and the inevitable reality of that Judgment. It's a very vivid statement: in the Greek "most assuredly" is a double "amen amen" - and we're told the dead will hear the voice of the Son, and those who have heard will live. So in some sense we return to themes of those who can hear the word.

In a way, we begin today's reading by reflecting on the events in yesterday's reading, when Jesus found a paralytic waiting by the Sheep Gate, who needed healing. It is initiated by Jesus, asking, "Do you want to be made well?" This is the voice of the Shepherd, calling to one of His sheep. In today's reading, we get a repeated idea of the voice of the Son, God the Word, and how we hear God's word. While speaking of the power of life and Judgment, Jesus tells the leadership, "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life." "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live." And "all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth." Looking at these words in this juxtaposition, we could read the words "and now is" as telling us that this is the time when "the dead" -- those who are in spiritual paralysis -- have the opportunity to hear His word and live, to come to life, as the paralytic who was able in yesterday's reading to take up his bed and walk. Over and over again, the Gospels will emphasize how we hear, if we have the capacity to hear, and Jesus will quote Isaiah repeatedly, saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Today's reading ties in the power of life, of the Resurrection, and the power to hear. He who hears this word and trusts it, believes in it, enters into the eternal life of the Son. So, we keep coming back to how we hear, if we hear, when we hear -- but now it is tied to the power of Life itself, and to the Judgment, in the Son. Let us remember the hour is coming, and now is.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."

Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

- John 5:1-18

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had departed once again for Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own
country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having
seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had
gone to the feast. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water
wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at
Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee,
he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he
was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people
see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said
to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus
spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his
servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he
inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him,
"Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the father knew
that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son
lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again
is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. This is the second feast Jesus has attended in John's Gospel. The first was the Passover feast at which He cleansed the temple. My study bible gives us some details on this feast: "St. John Chrysostom and other Fathers state that this feast is the Jewish Feast of Pentecost (or the Feast of Weeks), due to references to the Law of Moses later in the chapter. The Feast of Pentecost centers around the theme of the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai."

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. Again, my study bible gives us important information: "This double-basin pool, believed to have curative powers, has been discovered by archaeologists about 100 yards north of the temple area, near the Sheep Gate. The water for this high-ground pool came from underground springs, and it was used to wash down the sacrificial lambs before they were slain. The pool has led some Christians to see in the imagery a prefiguration of baptism."

In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed,
waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a
certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever
stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of
whatever disease he had. My study bible tells us some more interesting details: "This passage, explaining the presence of the sick around the pool, is often omitted from modern English translations because it appears in none of the oldest extant Greek manuscripts. . . . The disturbance of the water may actually have been caused by bubbling up of the intermittent underground springs, which was understood as an angelic action. On the other hand, it is possible that angelic activity was indeed the cause for the stirring of the water. The role of spiritual powers in the world must never be discounted."

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in
that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made
well?" My study bible says that Jesus asks this man an obvious question in order to stimulate his faith. But I find this action interesting: Jesus is initiating what is to happen -- while fully allowing this man to make his own petition, to engage in dialogue and express himself and his desire to Christ.

The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down
before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And
immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. In the man's answer, we gain insight further into Jesus' compassion. It's a sad story! He's infirm and can never reach the pool in the throng and the competition. He has no one to help him. Jesus has reached out to the one with no one to assist him. As in yesterday's reading, with simply a word from Jesus, the man is made well.

And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was
cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed." My study bible says here: "Although the law of the Sabbath (Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15) does not specifically prohibit the carrying of burdens, this activity is mentioned in Jer. 17:21 and Neh. 13:19 and was explicitly forbidden by rabbinical regulations. The Jews again refers not to the Jewish people (for the paralytic was a Jew), but to the authorities, who thought of themselves as guardians of the Law."

He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and
walk.'" Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up
your bed and walk'?" But the one who was healed did not know who it
was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have
been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." My study bible points out that it was "a common belief that illness and misfortune were divine retribution for sin. The Savior, however, does not ratify this as an absolute principle. The paralytic's cure is to lead to conversion and a righteous life." I see in Jesus' words a kind of warning about what we do with grace in our lives -- we embrace and follow where it leads. To spurn grace, an intervention of God's mercy, is to tempt ourselves to a worse position than we were in before.

For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him,
because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered
them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only
broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself
equal with God. Jesus gives a "defense" of Himself and His works; He explains what He is doing and will continue to do. My study bible puts it this way: "Confronted by His Jewish critics, Jesus argues that God's sustaining and redeeming work in the world does not cease on the Sabbath. Hearing these words, the Jews [meaning the leadership] are doubly offended: Jesus not only violates scribal law, but also presents Himself as equal with God." We take Jesus' words about Himself to be a statement of truth, and of revelation; but they are stumbling blocks for those whom these words outrage.

When Jesus tells this healed man to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you," I think we can be tempted to hear an over-strictness to these words. Doesn't Christ Himself instruct us to forgive seventy times seven? How can the man "sin no more?" But I think what we hear is something empty of the love of Jesus if we hear this in some sort of conventional way we may have heard it in our own lives or experience. To sin no more, in Jesus' words, is to maintain covenant with God, with Himself. The healed man has received God's grace, a loving intervention, and to be told to "sin no more" by Christ is an important affirmation that God wants this love to be returned! If we think of "sinning no more" as a loving relationship to our Creator, and maintaining that relationship unbroken, I think we can understand Christ better than we do if we can't "hear" that love in these words. God wants God's sheep back in the fold: healing and intervention work to bind us in that love, and Jesus wishes to keep this man in that love, one of His sheep that has come to Him -- or rather that Christ has come to in offer of restored relationship and wholeness. The Shepherd has found one sheep by the Sheep Gate! If we see it in that context, we understand that love is an invitation, and God's love -- just like Jesus' question, "Do you want to be made well?" -- is an invitation to relationship and to healing with this man. The fact that Jesus finds him again tells us something more about Christ and this relationship: as long as we want His love, He will never let us go. Even when we don't know where we can find Him, He will never let us go. And even if we break this relationship, He will always reach out to find us. This is love in action, love in words and deeds, and love that calls to us to keep that bond of love and return it: by dialogue (a response to Jesus' question, "Do you want to be made well?") and by communion, covenant ("sin no more"). Can we embrace that faith and find His love? Can we return it and ourselves with love? There is so much to heal; perhaps in the words to "sin no more" Christ teaches us that the healing is to be ongoing!

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Now after two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

- John 4:43-54

Over the course of the past two readings, we've read about Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. In yesterday's reading, the disciples came upon Jesus speaking with her. And they marveled that He talked
with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You
talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into
the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things
that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the
city and came to Him. In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He
said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore
the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to
eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent
Me, and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'There are still four
months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your
eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life,
that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in
this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to
reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you
have entered into their labors." And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the
word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So
when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them;
and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own
word. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

Now after two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. For
Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all
the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to
the feast. My study bible notes, "Jesus' statement concerning the prophet without honor is reported in all four Gospels. His own country refers to Galilee. Galileans were present in Jerusalem during the Passover, when He won many devotees because of the signs He performed. Because they gave Him only this minimal honor based upon their wonder at His signs, and not true glory based upon belief in His messianic vocation, He knew not to trust Himself to them." On Wednesday of last week, we read: Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many
believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus
did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need
that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water
wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at
Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee,
he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he
was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people
see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." Again, John's Gospel puts the emphasis on the meaning and power of real faith, by showing us that Jesus will not put his own trust in those who have faith simply by virtue of "seeing signs and wonders." Here, the words are emphatically stated by Jesus.

The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" Jesus
said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the
word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. In some sense, Jesus' words to the man regarding faith work as a kind of "goad" -- it's like a test of some sort. But this man isn't asking simply for a miracle in order to believe. He's asking out of love and concern for his child, and appealing to the compassion of Christ. The Gospel tells us that "the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him." My study bible says that this is enough for the official to have faith. Thus, the official manifests true belief, unlike the people Jesus referred to above, who only believe because of signs and wonders.

And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying,
"Your son lives!" Then he inquired of them the hour when he got
better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever
left him." So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which
Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his
whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. My study bible notes that "this is the third time the phrase "your son lives" is reported. It notes: "The very word of the One who is the resurrection and the life gives life as well." This is the second sign of the Gospel of John. A note also reads: "In Cana of Galilee, Nathanael's hometown, Jesus had demonstrated, by identifying Nathanael from afar, that He could see at a distance. He now shows He can heal at a distance -- He can heal the unseen."

It's interesting to note the connections that love makes in this powerful story of the second sign in John's Gospel. Jesus (via John's Gospel) has made the point several times now that faith simply through signs and wonders isn't the kind of faith that He's looking for at all. He won't "entrust Himself" to those who simply believe because of these signs and wonders. So what happens in this story that changes the scene for us? Why does Jesus give the command to "go" and that "your son lives?" What we note is the deep love and concern of this man for his son. He really doesn't care about much else. Unlike others, he's not simply testing Jesus to find out about His divinity. He's not among those whose faith relies solely on this. Rather, he's petitioning, and his request is a prayer. And I believe that we need to see the story on these terms. God may seem to be far away. In the fullness of God's power and glory, God dwells in a place beyond us, and is not "fully" manifest in our world in this sense. But we can pray, we can petition, and we can hear the word of God. We don't need signs and wonders to pray with what is in our heart. We simply need love. We don't need miracles to trust Christ: we need love, and over the longest distances, the unseen can respond to us with a word, with our faith, and within the heart where God's compassion answers us. The distance we perceive may be great, but God is truly everywhere, and there are no barriers to God's work in us and in our world. So I see this story in terms of true prayer of the heart, and the compassion of God. Jesus reveals His divinity, but in so doing He instructs us all about the times when He will not be incarnate, in the flesh before us as the man Jesus. Nevertheless, our faith is a bond; and heart to heart, He will respond.

Monday, February 25, 2013

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own word. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

- John 4:27-42

On Saturday, we began the reading that continues today, of Jesus' journey into Samaria, and His meeting with the woman at Jacob's well. When the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not
baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to
Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of
Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave
to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being
wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth
hour -- noon.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a
drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew,
ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings
with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift
of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have
asked Him and He would have given you living water." The woman said to
Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where
then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father
Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his
sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever
drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water
that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall
give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into
everlasting life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman
answered and said "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have
well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the
one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly."
The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our
fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem
is the place where one ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman,
believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain,
nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know;
we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God
is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in
truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is
called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus
said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked
with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You
talking with her?" My study bible points out that the disciples marveled "because Jews were not allowed to speak publicly with a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that. Jesus' words and actions transcend ethnic and gender-related customs of the time."

The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said
to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did.
Could this be the Christ?" Then they went out of the city and came to
Him. A long note tells us something about this woman, and her significance to the Church: "The Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist, testifying to the advent of Christ and bringing others to Him. According to an early tradition, after the Resurrection of Christ she was baptized and given the Christian name Photini, 'the enlightened one.' Along with her two sons and five daughters she went to Carthage to spread the gospel. There they were arrested, taken to Rome under Nero, imprisoned, and later martyred. According to tradition, St. Photini, who first met Christ beside a well, was martyred for Christ by being thrown into a well."

In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But He
said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." Therefore
the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to
eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent
Me, and to finish his work." Again, we find this device used in John's Gospel: first the Samaritan woman (in yesterday's reading) did not understand His words, now it's the disciples who don't understand what He's talking about. These "inscrutable" words have a way of bringing a point home to us, as well: we're 'hooked in' and through the eyes and ears of the disciples, we come to understand an unforgettable saying. My study bible says, "His food is to bring people to believe in Him and be saved."

"Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the
harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the
fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps
receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who
sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is
true: 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which
you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into
their labors." The townspeople, traditionally thought to be dressed in white, are approaching Jesus. Therefore, to "lift up their eyes and look at the fields white for harvest" is a continuation of Jesus' statement about His food. These people who come to Him are the ripe "fields white for harvest." My study bible says of His following statement: "The Father is the sower; Jesus is the reaper. Jesus will send the disciples to reap; their apostolic mission has been implicit from their initial calling. . . . The others are all those who have prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah: the Old Testament patriarchs, prophets, St. John the Baptist and more."

And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the
word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." So
when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them;
and He stayed there two days. And many more believed because of His own
word. Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of
what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." A note reads, "The Samaritans are the first to recognize Jesus as Savior of the world. The gospel is for all people."

I find the process of faith illustrated in these Gospel passages (today's reading and yesterday's) to be very striking in the ways in which God's word works. There's first of all the "mysterious" sayings of Jesus, which seem to mean one thing in plain view on the surface, and quite another when we dig deeper, or rather, when He reveals more behind them. Today He speaks of His food, to do what the Father wills, and to finish His work, to bring His people to "harvest." And then there is the way the Gospel works with this Samaritan woman, the least likely person for Him to reveal Himself to (as He did in yesterday's reading), and through her experience of Him, she brings others to Christ. They then encounter Him for themselves. We have a parallel here for our own faith. We can hear all about Christ, but there's no real substitute for the work of the Spirit in our lives, for our dialogue in prayer, for the help and love we feel through this experience. And that's illustrated for us in today's text. We don't know who God may come through to find us, but we will also benefit from an encounter for ourselves, in personal and substantial ways. Furthermore, the Gospel always works through others, through others' labors whom we don't know, through thousands and thousands of the "great cloud of witnesses" who've come before us, and who will come after, along with the great figures we know who are recorded in Scripture or perhaps the histories of the Church. In other words, God works through others, among us, and within us. We're not alone in what we do, and yet, paradoxically, there is no substitute for our own prayer, our dialogue with God, our experience of our faith at work in our lives -- and this we may share with others and then become, in whatever way available, a part of this harvest and His work. We may join in their labor. So today I invite you to think about the ways in which Christ works: through His "inscrutable" sayings, hooking people in to His words, through His teachings and His food and His labor and through the experience and love of countless others who join in at that harvest. How do you experience this for yourself? In what way then do you - as witness - become a part of that labor? "One cup of water" is even a form of witnessing, let us not forget.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come here to draw."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered and said "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly." The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

- John 4:1-26

In yesterday's reading, the Gospel told us about the growing ministry of Jesus. Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea,
and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was
baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And
they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into
prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and
the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him,
"Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have
testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" John
answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given
to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ' am
not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the
bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands
and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth
is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above
all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one
receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified
that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God,
for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son,
and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has
everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see
life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not
baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to
Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. My study bible says, "Because of the growing opposition of the Pharisees to His work done in Judea [see yesterday's reading, above], Jesus leaves for Galilee. The Pharisees earlier took note of the activity of John the Baptist, and now show interest in Jesus' ministry since it has gained momentum." If one looks at this map, one can see clearly the route Jesus had to take north, through Samaria, to get to Galilee from Judea.

So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of
ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there.
Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well.
It was about the sixth hour. One can see on the map the town of Sychar, tracing Jesus' route. My study bible says that this town is identified by scholars with Shechem or a village nearby. It notes that the Old Testament doesn't mention Jacob's well, but Jacob did own property in the area. "Wells and springs," it says, "are significant in Scripture because of their rarity in desert life. In the Old Testament they often symbolize the life given by God, especially a life of blessedness. This particular well, located at the foot of Mt. Gerizim, is maintained as a shrine and pilgrims can drink from it to this day. Jesus is wearied and thirsty from the labors of His journey, showing His complete humanity which He voluntarily assumed. The sixth hour is noontime." John's Gospel, I find, is so vivid in its images. A dry, hot, dusty day. It's noon, and the sun beats down. A very human Jesus is exhausted from His journey, and sits by the well.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. In the customs of the time, it's not strange that Jesus would tell a woman to give Him a drink. What is strange is that she is a Samaritan woman. Again, John sets us a vivid scene: Jesus is alone there; His disciples have gone away into the city to buy food. So, it is an encounter of opportunity. In His divine capacity, we come to understand this is no coincidence, no "accident."

Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew,
ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings
with Samaritans. My study bible tells us, "The Samaritans were a mixed race and traditional enemies of the Jews. Although they worshiped the God of Israel and were awaiting a redeemer, they accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament (the Pentateuch) as their Scriptures. They had built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim, which the Jews destroyed in 128 B.C."

Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it
is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He
would have given you living water." My study bible tells us that "living water in the ordinary sense means fresh, flowing water, from a spring rather than a pond or cistern. In the spiritual sense it symbolizes true life from God, who is the fountain of life." What's really remarkable about this passage, truly eye-opening, is the fact that Jesus opens up about His identity to this woman, alone with her at the well. She's surprised He's even speaking to her. But He directly addresses her with His real identity.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well
is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater
than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself,
as well as his sons and his livestock?" Although we now understand Jesus' words regarding the "living water," to her they come as a surprise; she tries to figure out what He means. It is a typical case of John's Gospel, in which metaphor and type combine to open up doors of insight to the gradually believing. Here, her question opens up a comparison to Jacob, of the Old Testament Patriarchs.

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will
thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will
never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." The woman said
to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may neither thirst, nor come
here to draw." In this language of the poetic and symbolic, Jesus opens up "how" He is greater than "our father Jacob." The water He gives is different; it not only quenches the thirsty in a more powerful way than the water at Jacob's well, but it will become in that person "a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." My study bible points out that this is the gift of the Holy Spirit, which "becomes a fountain of water which flows with eternal life. That this extraordinary water is springing (or leaping) up denotes the vigor of true life from God." She still doesn't understand, of course, this spiritual water and quenching of thirst He's talking about. But she wants to know more, she wants this water.

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman
answered and said "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have
well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands and the
one whom you now have is not your husband, in that you spoke truly." Jesus has drawn her in. Using the metaphor He gives His disciples, that they are to be fishers of men," we can see this woman as a sort of fish on the hook. Jesus has initiated this encounter, and initiated and hooked her interest. But now He goes deeper into relationship, revealing all He knows about her and her life. In this way, He reveals more about Himself, the depth of His knowledge and understanding -- how He knows us. There is nothing for her to hide in this encounter.

The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our
fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem
is the place where one ought to worship." My study bible notes, "The Samaritan version of the Ten Commandments decreed they worship on Mt. Gerizim, whereas the Jews worshiped on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem. The woman, thinking Jesus was a prophet, posed to Him this burning dispute between Jew and Samaritan."

Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will
neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You
worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is
of the Jews." Jesus affirms the validity of Jewish spiritual heritage. My study bible is careful to point out that Jesus' real disputes involve chiefly the leadership -- not the people themselves. But John's Gospel also tells us there are key figures who are Jesus' followers among the leadership (see the readings of Wednesday and Thursday, in which Jesus speaks to Nicodemus). It adds, "The Messiah was prophesied within Judaism; the Incarnation took place among the Jewish people. God's universal gift of salvation arises within the context of His promises to the Jews and their religious tradition."

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such
to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship
in spirit and in truth." The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is
coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all
things." A note here reads: "While the Jews and Samaritans historically argued about where true worship takes place, Jesus teaches that worship is not tied to any certain geographical place. Instead He turns to the heart of the matter: the object of worship, God Himself, and how worship takes place. The Father is worshiped in spirit -- that is, in the Holy Spirit who is given upon the completion of Christ's mission -- and truth, which is Jesus Christ Himself and His revelation. God is Spirit, that is, He possesses a spiritual nature which cannot be confined to a particular geographic location. Those who believe in the revelation of Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit can truly worship God anywhere."

Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." Literally in the Greek this passage reads "I am, who speak to you." The Greek ego eimi echoes the words of the name of God in the Old Testament, the "I AM" of Genesis 17:1 and Exodus 3:14. Its use, therefore, suggests theophany or revelation of God, according to my study bible. It says, "This is the first instance in John of Jesus' use of the formula of self-revelation. Jesus reveals Himself to be more than the Mosaic Prophet and more than the Jewish Messiah. Indeed, He is the Incarnate God Himself."

My first question regarding this passage would be, "Why this woman?" And second upon it, and related, is, "Why here?" We'll see how the disciples react when they come upon this scene in Monday's reading. (They'll be so astounded He's even speaking with a woman they won't be able even to question Him!) By tradition, this woman went on to be a saint, and we'll read about how she brought others to faith (also in Monday's reading). But what's striking for us, still today, is not only the fact that He speaks with a woman this way, completely shaking the customs of the time, but even that this is a Samaritan woman. And it's a still, quiet scene, in a hot place, among a tired and thirsty Jesus, and this one woman -- of a traditional enemy group of the Jews, someone who would, in terms of worldly expectation, be despised. And that's a great revelation for us. It's the least likely place for Christ's divinity to be revealed! It's a type of scene of the burning bush, at which the I AM was revealed to Moses, but so many things here are reversed. God's not talking to Moses here, although a burning bush in the desert might well be the scene of a blisteringly hot day at high noon in the sun, in which our Savior is tired and thirsty. No, this time -- perhaps in some sense as at the bush that wasn't consumed by the fire -- it's the least likely time and place, the least likely encounter for this revelation of God, to a single woman, inferior, immoral, of the "wrong" race and therefore faith understanding. But she becomes the stand-in for all of us, for each of us. How was she deserving? In what way did she make a special qualification? She is simply this "fish" in the desert, this one whom our Savior knew, capable of faith, of having her eyes opened at Jacob's well, and discovering the true place from which to draw true water that quenches the spirit and feeds the depths of life within us. This encounter is one in which we are truly known, and in that blazing sun of Light we can hide nothing. And that's a part of the requirement for this water, this revelation. So she is a gift to us as well -- and that's the power of this Gospel. You don't know who you may encounter in life and what you may find. But there are times when something may be asked of us, even in a way we don't expect nor that custom would embrace, that lead to a Gift we can't measure and has no end to its giving.

Friday, February 22, 2013

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ' am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

- John 3:22-36

In yesterday's reading, we read Jesus' words to Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisees: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God."

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Again John the Baptist makes his appearance in John's Gospel. We can't really underestimate the importance of the Baptist. Jesus' first disciples were disciples of the Baptist whom he led to Christ, as we read earlier in this Gospel. Among those disciples is included John the Evangelist, author of this Gospel. Here, we're given a time frame. This is before John the Baptist has been thrown into prison -- so John's speaking of Christ here in these passages is still during his active ministry. The Baptist cut such a towering figure at this time, and among early Christians, that it is very important to note that even during his active ministry, he steered his disciples to Jesus. It is an extra emphasis for us.

Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" This is a scene, if we think of it as a kind of image on film or a stage, in which there's a vivid juxtaposition of the two ministries: that of Jesus and that of the Baptist. Its height (of this scene) is the dispute between John's the disciples and the leadership regarding purification. We can imagine the debate. But John's disciples come to him and make a powerful exclamation: "Behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ' am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled." My study bible says, "John the Baptist is called the friend (the equivalent of a modern 'best man'), but it is Christ who is the bridegroom; the bride is God's people. As God was the Lord of His people in the Old Testament, so Christ is the Bridegroom of the Church in the New Testament." John's Gospel makes it clear that even during the time of his ministry of baptism, John the Baptist deferred to Christ, and actively led his own disciples to Jesus. This powerful image of bride and bridegroom also give to us a statement about the character of John, only serving to emphasize the things for which people held the Baptist in such high esteem: his great humility and love of God. John the Baptist's joy is fulfilled in the word of God, and the truth of God.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." A note here reads, "The Forerunner expresses profound humility and acceptance of his role in the service of God. He renounces all earthly glory and reputation and glories only in Christ. John's aspirations of hope and joy as a minister and servant of God have now been fulfilled."

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." My study bible tells us: "John gives a summary of the teaching of the Gospel about the origin, dignity and saving work of Christ." The statements here by the Baptist also reflect Jesus' words about Himself in yesterday's reading, in speaking to Nicodemus.

John's Gospel today affirms the "handing off" of John the Baptist's disciples to Jesus, by the Baptist himself. It tells us of his great humility and understanding of the true words of God that led him to understand the revelation in the Jordan (of Father, Son and Spirit) and also his own place as prophet. We consider him (as Christians) the last and greatest of the Old Testament lineage of prophets. Here, the Baptist's words make clear why the Church from its earliest times has always considered him to be so: his tremendous humility, acceptance and powerful joy at the workings of God: "He must increase, while I must decrease." John understands perfectly his own role as a servant of God; his joy is fulfilled in the coming of the Bridegroom. As "best man" he has led the people to Christ. We can't really find a more fulfilled role of what we consider to be a saint than that we see in the person of the Baptist, and this is why he was held in such high reverence. His own understanding of the workings of God ("A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven") is a kind of way of seeing that helps us to understand not only his insight, but what it is to live a prayerful life, to be aware of God in one's own life and even in the seeming misfortunes of life. It's not fatalistic! It is the words of a person who lives in such a prayerful state that they have insight into the reality of their own lives, in relationship to God. This is why he is considered a tremendous saint, and a prophet. If we're to incorporate this image into our own lives, as something that is essential and important to us, then we must try to see why John's acceptance of his own life and ministry -- and its decrease -- makes him such a holy man. This is because his true joy is in the fulfillment of God's word, and God's will. When we pray, we ask for a state of relationship to God that stands us in good stead, gives us a good picture of ourselves and of our lives, and does not lie to us about where we are. Sometimes when we face losses in life, it's good to be in this prayerful state, and to understand that no loss, however devastating on our terms, is a loss of such magnitude that we can lose our relationship to God. This is the powerful reality of a kind of joy, a certain type of peace, that doesn't really make much sense to someone who has not truly had this experience. We may see, if we look back in hindsight, that God has been at work in our lives, despite the difficulties of a troublesome, unjust world and the sadness we may have experienced in life. This is the way of the Cross. Jesus has taught us that "with God all things are possible." John's joy comes from his "right-relatedness" to Christ, and in this is counted righteousness. May God's peace always be with you!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have been done in God."

- John 3:16-21

In yesterday's reading, we read about Jesus' time at the first Passover in John's Gospel: Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many
believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus
did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need
that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that
You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You
do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be
born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is
born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born
again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it,
but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone
who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus
answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not
know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know
and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I
have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you
believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven
but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in
heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." My study bible tells us that this is the essence of the gospel: "God's gift of His Son as the ultimate expression of His love for the world." Jesus is telling us about Himself, what He is doing here, but it doesn't come as a statement about Himself alone; this is impossible. In fact, Jesus' identity comes from relationship to the Father.

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God." A note here reads that "the purpose of Christ's coming is to save; but the result is also condemnation for those who will not believe." I think it's essential to have some insight into the reasoning here: if Christ is a key to entry into the Kingdom, then through love of Christ we become Christ-like. Without that love and trust (the essence of belief in the Greek), how will this be possible?

"And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to
the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth
comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen that they have
been done in God." My study bible says here: "A profound insight: Goodness and a pure heart welcome the light, whereas evil deeds and malice resist the light and seek to hide in the darkness."

Let us consider the themes of light and darkness. They will come to us repeatedly in the Gospel of John. What does it mean to love the light? Truth is inseparable from this light, as John's Gospel here intimates to us. So there is a tie to this light with a basic love of truth, a passion (shall we say) for truth in the heart. It is this basic love, a desire for truth and purity of heart, that leads one to the light -- to desire the light. It doesn't matter much here where you start; what is important is this love and this truth and this desire for the light in the heart. John tells us here that there is a desire in the inner life to hide from the light, to avoid this search for God-likeness, in the practice of evil (or "evil deeds and malice" as my study bible phrases it). To seek to hide from God is a question of the depths of the heart and the inner life. So this is a place that Christ knows in us, but we cannot necessarily know nor judge in others. This is a depth of the heart where real choice comes, a place in which we decide what we truly love. In this case, light and truth are inseparable. To love God and the light of Christ, is inseparable from a love of truth. There are many who love Christ and who desire that light. We cannot judge in what way they love. At the same time, it is possible to hide while feigning that love. Here in this passage, Jesus' words are announced directly to the Pharisee Nicodemus. Let us remember that nothing can stop the love of God and of Christ, wherever it is found, and under whatever circumstance it comes. Nicodemus will later defend Jesus' legal rights before the Sanhedrin, and risk his position along with Joseph of Arimathea to honor Christ. We can't judge where the love of God and Christ's light will be found. These words given in the dark of night (see yesterday's reading) to Nicodemus now proclaim the essence of the gospel to the whole world.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

- John 2:23-3:15

Yesterday we read about Jesus' cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem. It is the first Passover of Jesus' ministry as reported in John's Gospel: Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man. The word for "commit" here is rooted to the same word translated as "faith." But in the Greek, "faith" is more akin to "trust." So, we could read this as "Jesus did not entrust Himself to them." This suggests the covenant of faith, a two-way street. Many may be convinced by signs, but that's not yet true faith. It's not the real bond of love in covenant, and John - right here at an early point in his Gospel - gives us a good reason why Jesus refuses simply to give signs as "proofs." He's looking for a kind of relationship with us, with His sheep. John also testifies to Jesus' knowing, an important part of trust and covenant. He knows us better than we know ourselves, He knows what is in us.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. It's important that we understand that there were also Pharisees, members of the leadership, and "rulers of the Jews" who also followed Jesus.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." My study bible tells us: "Nicodemus believed Jesus was from God. Afraid of being seen with Him by his peers, he came to Jesus by night. Following this conversation with Jesus, Nicodemus disappears from John's Gospel until he seeks to defend Jesus' legal rights before the Sanhedrin. At the end, with Joseph of Arimathea, he prepares and entombs the body of Jesus -- a bold public expression of faith. His memory is celebrated with that of the myrrh-bearing women and Joseph of Arimathea on the second Sunday after Easter. According to some early sources, Nicodemus was baptized by Peter, and consequently was removed from the Sanhedrin and forced to leave Jerusalem." Nicodemus also shows the wisdom of his position and expertise. He recognizes what must be behind the signs that Jesus does.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." A note explains that "again" here is more accurately translated "from above." It is "speaking of the heavenly birth from God through faith in Christ. Whereas God the Word is born from the Father before all ages, Christians are born from the Son in His human nature within time by Holy Baptism. Being born again, however, is but the beginning of spiritual life. The goal is to see the kingdom of God, a phrase frequently used in the synoptic gospels but found only here in John. Its equivalent in John is 'life' or 'eternal life.'"

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" As we have already observed, in John's Gospel we are frequently taken from the face-value worldly meaning of a phrase to the depth of understanding Jesus' words contain. My study bible puts it properly in its poetic beauty: "A typical feature of John's Gospel is the elevation of an idea from its superficial meaning in this age to its spiritual meaning in the Kingdom." So, in this sense, our understanding is also reborn from above.Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" My study bible says, "Birth from above is of water and the Spirit, a clear reference to Christian baptism. While the workings of the Holy Spirit are mysterious, nevertheless spiritual birth is integrated with baptism here and throughout the New Testament."

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." This is a play on words in the Greek. Pneuma in the Greek means both wind and Spirit. My study bible says, "The working of the Holy Spirit in the new birth is as mysterious as the source or destination of the blowing wind."

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven." St. John Chrysostom interprets "earthly things" as being the mystery of new birth through baptism (which Jesus has just taught to Nicodemus). "Heavenly things" speak about Jesus' heavenly life as Christ or Logos, great mysteries of heaven. As my study bible puts it, Chrysostom says that "heavenly things" rather refer to the eternal generation of the Son from the Father. It says, "The new birth is an incomparable spiritual gift, but compared to Christ's eternal birth from the Father, it is earthly." At any rate, it is something we human beings are to experience here in the world, the taste of the Kingdom come near, even as we await its fullness.

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." A note reads, "Moses lifted up a bronze serpent to cure the Israelites from the deadly bites of poisonous snakes. Christ will be lifted up on the Cross. As the believer beholds the crucified Christ through faith as Savior, the poisonous bite of that old serpent, the devil, and the bite of sin and death, is counteracted and cured. The moment of Christ's greatest humiliation becomes the moment of exaltation for completing His redeeming work. This is the first of many instances in John's Gospel where Jesus teaches that He is the fulfillment of an Old Testament type."

We really can't limit the work that Spirit does in the world. These are still "earthly things" -- the experience of what the Spirit does in us and among us. In this way, Jesus' saying, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" makes perfect sense. It is a beautiful and poetic analogy even as the Greek tells us something profound, that same word pneuma that can have two meanings of "wind" and "Spirit." We cannot leave the poetry out of the Gospels. Poetry informs us in ways that nothing else we know can about the meanings and values that suffuse the human experience of Spirit, of Christ, of God in our midst who works among us and within us. In this sense, we come to understand Jesus' depth of meanings, that are hidden from those who only take them at face value. John's Gospel will constantly point us in deeper directions as we, too, are called to become "reborn" again and again in a constant baptism of the Spirit. Faith calls us to this place. There's a phrase in the psalms: "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me." The meaning of this is rather contested; but there's not much doubt in the meaning of the entire Psalm. Even through the crashing waves and billows of sorrows and sadness, God's love is steadfast. In this sense, we can think of "deep calls to deep" as in the midst of our world, Jesus assures us that we can be born again of Spirit and therefore bear God-likeness. There's even a hint of "likeness" in the analogy to Moses lifting up the serpent on his staff, and the comparison with Christ lifted up on the Cross. The "medicine" of the Cross, which is bitter, in fact cures our ails, and is the antidote to the poison of the ruler of this world. In these senses, we acquire "likeness" in His name and image, becoming citizens of a heavenly kingdom and therefore prepared for the fullness of that citizenship, dressed in the proper wedding garment for the Wedding Feast. Many early Church Fathers have spoken of the reason for Christ's Incarnation, that God became man so that we may become like God. Here, a true rebirth in Spirit speaks of just that, a preparation in God's image so that we may enter into the fullness of the Kingdom. Jesus speaks of rebirth as something "earthly" -- thereby assuring us that this process begins with us, in the flesh, here and now, and of course teaching us that He by His incarnation in the flesh becomes a kind of Moses, showing us the way, His Way. Let us pay attention to these "earthly things" and not neglect them! Let us remember that we are called by the One who descended in order to be lifted up on the Cross, so that we may find this Way through faith and rebirth.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up."

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

- John 2:13-22

In yesterday's reading, we read about the first sign in the Gospel of John. Jesus has just gone with His disciples to Galilee. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother
of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to
the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to
Him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your
concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said
to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner
of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons
apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they
filed them up to the brim. And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and
take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. When the
master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not
know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water
knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to
him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the
guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!" This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and
manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. It's interesting that right from the beginning of John's Gospel, we have Jesus in so many places around Israel. First there was the Baptism at the Jordan and John the Baptist handing over of his disciples to Christ, then He traveled with His disciples to Galilee. Here, Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover. Throughout His ministry, in John's Gospel, Jesus will be in Jerusalem for several religious festivals. Correspondingly, His statements about Himself and His revelation in His ministry will reflect these events commemorated at the festivals. This visit to the temple during Passover comes right at the beginning of Jesus' ministry in John's Gospel. My study bible says, "By transferring this incident from Holy Week (where it is related in the synoptic Gospels) to the beginning of Jesus' ministry, John emphasizes that Jesus' ministry is not like that of the prophets, merely to renew faith under the Old Covenant. Rather, He is instituting a new kind of worship altogether. Interestingly, St. John Chrysostom believes Jesus cleansed the temple twice, at the beginning and again at the end of His public ministry. The Passover: Jesus performs His miracles during the major Jewish feasts demonstrating that the Old Law is fulfilled in Jesus Himself."

And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and
the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He
drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and
poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said
to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My
Father's house a house of merchandise!" My study bible tells us that "by this cleansing, Jesus vigorously protects the purity of worship against commercialism. Likewise, He zealously desires His Church to be a holy, pure house of prayer."

Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up." Scripture corresponds to events in Jesus' life and ministry, and reflects His fulfillment of them. The disciples remembered the Scripture; it is part of the illumination of faith about Jesus, part of what it is to be in discipleship.

So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?" A reasonable question, given that Jesus has just -- seemingly with all authority -- cleansed the temple. My study bible explains that this question concerns this authority. This is an act of Messiah. It notes, "He answers in a hidden way: the ultimate sign will be His death and Resurrection." Again, we're prompted by the text to understand the part that memory, reflection and illumination play in understanding and coming more fully into faith. Jesus' "hidden" answer will require insight, the answers of the heart. It will prompt deeper meaning as we go further and deeper into faith.

The the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,
and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the
temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His
disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed
the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. The leadership ("the Jews" is frequently the way that John will refer to the leadership) can't really see what Jesus is talking about. They think He's referring to a spectacular sign having literally to do with rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem, which was an extraordinary structure, a feat of building begun by Herod the Great in 20 B.C.

In today's reading, John's gospel relays for us something essential to our faith, a deepening and clarifying understanding that grows as we advance into it. Perhaps also we should remind ourselves that new questions and deeper Mysteries also invite us in throughout a lifetime of faith. But here in the Gospel, John is telling us something in a particular way. For the disciples, there are repeated reflections and remembering. There is insight into the words of Jesus. Jesus' words are given in deliberate riddles and mysteries (as will also happen when He preaches in parables), designed so that those who really want to know, who have a thirst for what He is offering, will continue to explore and to find deeper meanings and connections in the heart, in faith. Reflection and remembrance make it possible for His disciples to recall the Scripture quoted above from Psalm 69. John also tells us that after Jesus was risen from the dead, long after this incident reported today took place, the disciples recalled His words to the leadership, and gained insight into them, found meaning and truth and faith, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. John's gospel will be characterized by this further revelation, and this deeper drawing in. We will read in several incidents where Jesus reveals Himself gradually, through faith, to those who will become His followers, believers. And so it should happen also in our lives. Why do we reflect on Scripture? Because deeper insights and meanings can also come through our own faith, insight into our own experiences, and especially the recognition of God's love and Christ's grace at work in our own lives come through reflection and remembrance and insight. It's a question of listening with the heart, a gradual growth. This doesn't depend on extraordinary learning or a high intelligence quotient or a particularly great background in all sorts of education of one type or another. It depends on faith and grace. Jesus' disciples are fishermen of His time and place; they're not particularly learned at all for their own place, and yet they are the ones He chose. We each bring to God whatever we are, and God works with us in our heart. Remembrance and reflection can happen sitting in church, at prayer, or even while driving your car or walking down the street. Let us remember what the Gospel teaches us; faith leads us more deeply to this place.

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